Once upon a time there lived a pious man named C.Damodaran. He retired as an honest income tax officer in the lazy town of Pudupariyaram.
My destiny so had it that in 2016, on July 10th at the stroke of 12 pm IST I was blessed to be this great man's daughter in law. And here begins my tryst with moru paarna kootan.
Achan was a gem of a person with a silent nature. He took care of the household like any woman would do thereby making up for Ammas absence. So here goes the story. Me the new bride comes down after a tiring wedding spree to my amazement the whole breakfast menu was ready on the table. Piping hot idlis with fresh coconut chutney and my all-time favourite Sambar. We all had to our hearts content. My husband meanwhile was giving me cues through sign language to go into the kitchen and assist achan.
So there I enter with my little knowledge of tea and Maggi. And I ask him what's for lunch. I expected a thoran or aviyal. But here was something I had never heard of in my life... Moru paarna kootan! Wow! Now that was news! This kootan is a lookalike of moru curry but a slight variant. It is thick. Ash gourd pieces float on top. Freshly grated coconut is mixed and not to forget one lump of Jaggery to balance the taste. It is finally garnished with curry leaves and red chilies. This one curry is just enough. It can replace anything but nothing can replace it. The aroma wafting through the air is still a pleasant memory.
It's been over a year since we lost Achan and over a year since Moru paarna Kootan came out of our Valluvanadan kitchen. This is an ode to both of them who leave a refreshing happy memory in our minds and are irreplaceable.
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